Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this edition:
A founder built an app to hard-stop screen time
Canada's first entrepreneurial micro-credential launches
A wound care spinout reports promising early results
P.S. Did someone forward you this email? You can subscribe right here. And for real-time updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Helcim closes $53 million Series C led by BDC Capital
Photo: Helcim
Calgary-based payments company Helcim has closed a $53 million Series C round led by BDC Capital's Growth Venture Fund, with new investment from Curql Collective and Gold House Ventures alongside continued participation from existing investors.
The raise comes as Helcim says it has hit several milestones: more than 22,000 active merchants, $150 million in annual revenue, and a projection to process nearly $10 billion in payments this year.
"We've just raised a $53 million Series C, and we want to share what it means for the future of Helcim and the merchants who trust us every day," said Nic Beique, founder and CEO.
Helcim says the capital will go toward a strategy the company calls Helcim Everywhere, which aims to integrate its payment processing into the software and tools merchants are already using. The company launched a Payment Extension earlier this year that allows merchants to process payments through Helcim while continuing to use their existing business software.
The funding will also support continued development of Helcim's core products, including point-of-sale, invoicing, online checkout, and hardware. Beique says the company intends to expand into additional payment and financial management capabilities for merchants.
Helcim says it was founded on the premise that small business owners deserved more transparent and affordable payment processing than what established players offered. The company maintains volume-based pricing without hidden fees, it says.
BDC Capital's Growth Venture Fund, Curql Collective, and Gold House Ventures join Helcim's existing investor base.
Want to reach Calgary tech leaders? Advertise in the Calgary Tech Journal to get in front of founders, investors, and innovators. Contact [email protected] to learn more.
SPONSORED BY WEWORK
Your business deserves better than basic office space
Flexible workspaces that work harder for your business. WeWork helps companies of all sizes reduce overhead while creating environments where employees love to work. Better spaces, better results, better bottom line. Connect with a WeWork expert today.
📰 Need To Know
Calgary founder launches PhoneFree to put a hard stop on screen time. Zaidi developed the app after finding that willpower alone was not enough to change his own habits. Calgary.Tech
Ready for Entrepreneurial Thinking: UCalgary to offer Canada’s first entrepreneurial micro-credential course for university students. Free to all students, the program will teach students to find innovative solutions, thrive in uncertainty. Calgary.Tech
Wound care innovation startup reaches “exciting moment” following “outstanding results” from early test. A startup that spun out of research at the University of Calgary is developing healthcare technology to support cleaner and more balanced wound environments. Calgary.Tech